Side Mission Briefing

Interested parties can expect the following in this thirty-sixth episode of The Side Mission Briefing:

Housekeeping:

-We've got some new toys to play with! There's a new Twitter contest-thingy we've introduced. Our Russian editor will be reading the handles of RT-ers of my promotional tweets. Follow me if you'd like to play along! As a bonus, a random RT-er will get to choose a piece of audio for the show…

-The show is on iTunes! If you're a fan of the show… Step 1: Subscribe. The show will download to your device of choosing automatically each week and for free, which is really cool if you think about it. Step 2: Rate the show. Personally, I think the show is 5-star worthy, but I'm wildly biased. Step 3: Write a review. This is the fun bit… and if your review is good, it'll be featured on the show's front page on iTunes, which is kind of awesome.

-I'll be reading the more entertaining iTunes reviews on the show, so have at it! Somehow, in the wake of last week's Ken Levine episode, we had very little new action on the iTunes page. Does not compute.

-If you'd prefer to watch the show instead of listen to it, feel free to do so over in GT's Shows section. Sure, there's not much actual video content, but [intentional missing half of sentence].

The News Roundup:

-So what's up with that rumored new PlayStation controller? Keep in mind that we recorded the show on Monday, so today's news didn't make the final edit.

Whatcha Playin':

-Ron Gilbert, Creator/Lead Designer of The Cave, spelunks his way into the co-host chair. A great deal of The Cave is discussed. Also mentioned: Star Wars, a whole mess of science fiction and a mutual inability to play Red Dead Redemption. We also talked about the random nature of existence, so there's that.

There are times when it seems like The Universe is conspiring against each of us. For me, this is one of those times.

It's the day after the first Pile of Shame column went live and it looks like Red Dead Redemption is gonna win this thing. Of course it is. Why wouldn't the 100-hour open-world opus win?

If it seems I'm a little perturbed… this day, a Thursday, finds me slammed with work. By now you've noticed we've gotten more selective with our news content here on Side Mission. This was done for a few reasons, but the key takeaway is that we're sharpening our focus on the things we do best, which is to say our original content.

For me personally, that means the Side Mission Briefing podcast, this regular column (and potentially others) and more fun stuff I won't get into just yet. In sum, these are projects I'm extremely excited about. But they're also time-consuming.

On top of those things, my body has recently decided to fail me, rendering me unable to spend extended periods of time seated or otherwise engaged at desk work… which comprises most of the work I do. I've got physical therapy at least three times a week and in the middle of the day, which, again, isn't great for work-related productivity.

So… adding things up: Established labor-intensive creative projects to execute, brand new labor-intensive creative projects to conceptualize and build, a body that seems hell-bent on derailing any kind of professional efficiency and, candidly, a marriage that's falling apart at the seams*.

This is me, frazzled. And it's the mindset with which I'm diving into Red Dead Redemption.

*The bit about my marriage is complete fiction. Just poking Mrs. DeMaro with a stick. Trust me when I tell you her reaction upon reading this will be priceless.

Rocco, John; John, Rocco

I've lost a horse.

He was a shiny, yellow stallion. I'd just caught the thing and tamed him. Thunderbolt. I was gonna call him Thunderbolt. I'm pretty sure Thunderbolt represented an upgrade over my beginning horse, whom I refer to as Keith.

-The show is finally on iTunes! If you're a fan of the show… Step 1: Subscribe. The show will download to your device of choosing automatically each week and for free. which is really cool if you think about it. Step 2: Rate the show. Personally, I think the show is 5-star worthy, but I'm wildly biased. Step 3: Write a review. This is the fun bit… and if your review is good, it'll be featured on the show's front page on iTunes, which is kind of awesome.

-I'll be reading the more entertaining iTunes reviews on the show, so have at it! This week we hear from a listener whose handle may or may not be appropriate.

-If you'd prefer to watch the show instead of listen to it, feel free to do so over in GT's Shows section. Sure, there's not much actual video content, but [intentional missing half of sentence].

The News Roundup:

-Next-Gen consoles are always fun to talk about, so we talk about next-gen consoles.

Whatcha Playin':

-Ken Levine, co-founder and Creative Director of Irrational Games, works his way into the co-host chair. A great deal of BioShock Infinite is discussed. Also mentioned: The Lord of the Rings, Orc rights, The Avengers, the original BioShock's famous twist, Ken's mom, the difficulty of BioShock Infinite's development and the history of film. And more.

Interested parties can expect the following in this thirty-fourth episode of The Side Mission Briefing:

Housekeeping:

-Listener Feedback has you guys reacting to last week's VGAs/Samuel L. Jackson show, among other things. One of my favorite Russians makes his way onto the show, and in the spirit of Christmas.

-The show is finally on iTunes! If you're a fan of the show… Step 1: Subscribe. The show will download to your device of choosing automatically each week and for free. which is really cool if you think about it. Step 2: Rate the show. Personally, I think the show is 5-star worthy, but I'm wildly biased. Step 3: Write a review. This is the fun bit… and if your review is good, it'll be featured on the show's front page on iTunes, which is kind of awesome.

-I'll be reading the more entertaining iTunes reviews on the show, so have at it! This week we hear from a first-timer.

-The dream of a spot in GT's 'Shows' section is finally within our grasp… will there be a Christmas Miracle?!?

-The men behind Dishonored Blink their way into a pair whale oil-soaked co-host chairs.

-I've been playing Dishonored, and I'm enjoying it a lot. Right up my alley. Harvey's been playing a few choice indie titles among some other stuff, while Raph's recently attacked XCOM: Enemy Unknown and The Walking Dead.

Interested parties can expect the following in this thirty-third episode of The Side Mission Briefing:

Housekeeping:

-Listener Feedback has some love for last week's Mikey Neumann-themed excellence. Many of you hailed it as the best show yet. Also mentioned: The wild world of podcast editing!!

-The show is finally on iTunes! If you're a fan of the show… Step 1: Subscribe. The show will download to your device of choosing automatically each week and for free. which is really cool if you think about it. Step 2: Rate the show. Personally, I think the show is 5-star worthy, but I'm wildly biased. Step 3: Write a review. This is the fun bit… and if your review is good, it'll be featured on the show's front page on iTunes, which is kind of awesome.

-I'll be reading the more entertaining iTunes reviews on the show, so have at it!

-While the dream of a spot in GT's 'Shows' section remains out of reach… the show now has a home on Side Mission! Rejoice!

Interested parties can expect the following in this thirty-second episode of The Side Mission Briefing:

Housekeeping:

-Listener Feedback has some love for last week's JRPG-themed ep, as well as a note of encouragement from a long-deceased Russian author.

-The show is finally on iTunes! If you're a fan of the show… Step 1: Subscribe. The show will download to your device of choosing automatically each week and for free. which is really cool if you think about it. Step 2: Rate the show. Personally, I think the show is 5-star worthy, but I'm wildly biased. Step 3: Write a review. This is the fun bit… and if your review is good, it'll be featured on the show's front page on iTunes, which is kind of awesome.

-I'll be reading the more entertaining iTunes reviews on the show, so have at it!

-While the dream of a spot in GT's 'Shows' section remains out of reach… the show now has a home on Side Mission! Rejoice!

-Gearbox's Mikey Neumann writes his way into the co-host chair. A long, winding Whatcha Playin' ensues. Topics include Aliens: Colonial Marines, Mikey's voice work as Scooter from the Borderlands games, an unfortunate genetic lottery ticket and Mikey's prolific-ness as a writer.

Interested parties can expect the following in this thirty-first (and decidedly JRPG-flavored) episode of The Side Mission Briefing:

Housekeeping:

-Listener Feedback has more of you complaining about this show's lack of visibility. Mrs. DeMaro also drops by and reluctantly reads an iTunes review.

-I offer a replacement-level Australian accent.

-The show is finally on iTunes! If you're a fan of the show… Step 1: Subscribe. The show will download to your device of choosing automatically each week and for free. which is really cool if you think about it. Step 2: Rate the show. Personally, I think the show is 5-star worthy, but I'm wildly biased. Step 3: Write a review. This is the fun bit… and if your review is good, it'll be featured on the show's front page on iTunes, which is kind of awesome.

-I'll be reading the more entertaining iTunes reviews on the show, so have at it!

The News Roundup:

-The news this week consists of the Missus and I talking about Final Fantasy X-based romance. In that respect, it's awfully un-news-ish.

Whatcha Playin':

-Kotaku's Jason Schreier works his way into the co-host chair. He does this in a turn-based fashion. We discuss our favorite JRPG things. My List is in no particular order.

Interested parties can expect the following in this thirtieth episode of The Side Mission Briefing:

Housekeeping:

-Listener Feedback features our first negative review on iTunes. We also hear from the missus and talk a great deal about qualifications for our Heroes List.

-Dealing with much less congestion.

-The show is finally on iTunes! If you're a fan of the show… Step 1: Subscribe. The show will download to your device of choosing automatically each week and for free. which is really cool if you think about it. Step 2: Rate the show. Personally, I think the show is 5-star worthy, but I'm wildly biased. Step 3: Write a review. This is the fun bit… and if your review is good, it'll be featured on the show's front page on iTunes, which is kind of awesome.

-I'll be reading the more entertaining iTunes reviews on the show, so have at it!

-Our Shane Satterfield cardio's his way into the co-host chair. So much Wii U talk… from Nintendo Land to ZombiU to the console itself, we offer a fairly expansive preview of Nintendo's upcoming console.

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